The basic difference between the drift theory and plate tectonics lies in the force mechanism responsible for the movement of continents.

According to Wegener's continental drift theory, the movement was caused by pole-fleeing force and tidal force. The pole-fleeing force relates to the rotation of the earth, which creates a bulge at the equator. The tidal force was attributed to the attraction of the moon and the sun that develops tides in oceanic waters. However, most scholars considered these forces to be totally inadequate to explain continental movement.

In contrast, the theory of plate tectonics explains the force through convection currents operating in the mantle portion. Arthur Holmes in the 1930s discussed that these currents are generated due to radioactive elements causing thermal differences in the mantle. The heated material rises to the surface, spreads, begins to cool, and then sinks back into deeper depths. This cycle is repeated to generate what scientists call a convection cell or convective flow. Heat within the earth comes from two main sources: radioactive decay and residual heat.

Another key difference lies in the nature of evidence. For continental drift, most evidence was collected from continental areas in the form of distribution of flora and fauna or deposits like tillite. However, plate tectonics was supported by new information from ocean floor mapping during the post-World War II period, which provided new dimensions for understanding the distribution of oceans and continents.